Port's plans on table

Residents of seven neighborhoods affected by the new port terminal being built at the former Navy Yard in North Charleston got a peek Saturday at the various economic and building strategies that could revitalize and protect the area over the next 30 years.

The Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities has been studying a master plan for Neck Area neighborhoods where traffic and development are expected to greatly increase -- and put pressure on residents -- once the new port goes on-line around 2013.

The seven areas are home to about 14,000 people in the southern end of North Charleston. They are Liberty Hill, Accabee, Union Heights, Howard Heights, Windsor, Five Mile and Chicora/Cherokee.

The ideas aired Saturday are part of a far-reaching study supported by more than $4 million in mitigation money from the State Ports Authority, which is building the new terminal. The study's long-range goal is to keep neighborhoods vibrant by expanding affordable housing, business recruiting and other quality of life needs, while protecting local heritage, history and current residents.

One key starting point, organizers said, is finding ways to pull neighborhoods together by reclaiming the large number of blighted or open spaces, and then filling them in with housing that matches the already existing patterns of architecture.

Another thrust is expanding space for parks, bike trails and creating shopping districts that include grocery stores, which already are in short-supply in lower North Charleston.

"It's not a wish-list, it's a vision," City Councilman Michael Brown said at the meeting, which drew about 100 people to the Military Magnet Academy school auditorium.

Some of the changes can be pursued through city ordinances but much will depend on cooperation between governmental agencies, the business sector and private interests.

Mayor Keith Summey attended the event. He said he liked what he saw but that the state should invest more in the area, including widening Interstate 26 to ensure a smoother flow of trucks in and out of the region after the port becomes operational.

Other residents also liked what they heard, including Ida Taylor, who said the idea of a broad approach to meet needs of all seven neighborhoods, was appealing. "I think they all can use some help," she said.

Officials hope to assemble community comments and submit a master proposal to City Council later this winter.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551 or skropf@postandcourier.com.